Cooling unit



Sept. 8, 1936. w. W. WILLIAMS 2,053,387

I COOLING UNIT Filed June 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l .j- INVENTOR.

14444 TER w. W/LL/HMS A TTORNEY.

Set. 8, 1936. w fw. WILLIAMS COOLING UNIT Filed June 11, 1934-2.SheetsShee t 2 S 4 u 3 l M 5 A, AN 3 1M 4 I N z a z u m n m 4 W ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 7 COOLING UNIT WalterW. Williams, Bloomington, Ill. 'Application June 11, 1934, Serial No.730,020 8 Claims. (Cl. 183-26) This invention relates to cooling unitsand more particularly to such a unit which may be employed with butslight changes in operation as a water-cooling tower, a humidifier, oran air conditioner, withoutchange in construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of this characterwhich is extremely compact, of simple construction, and inexpensive tomanufacture.

With these and other objects'in view, reference is made to theaccompanying sheet of drawings which illustrate a preferred form of thisinvention with the understanding that minor detail changes may be madewithout departing from the i scope thereof.

In the drawings: A

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an embo'diment of this invention.4

Figure 2 is a view in section taken on the line 9 2-2 of Figure 1, withparts shown in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a view in section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,looking in the direction of the arrows.

5 Figure 4 is a view in section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2,looking in the direction of-the arrows.

The embodiment of this invention as illustrated includes preferably acylindrical base I having a plate 2 with an upstanding annular flange 3forming a water-tight closure at the bottom and supporting an invertedfrustro-conical member '4 in the open'top, preferably by a conicaloutstanding flange 5 integral with the member I,

5 engaging the conical sides intermediately thereof. The upper side orbase of the frustro-conical member 4 supports aboveit asemi-cylindricalair casing 6 having a top closure 1 provided with. a concentric circularopening supporting thereon.

=0 the base of an inverted frustro-conical member 8 by the engagement ofan outstanding flange 9 thereon with the upper'surf'ace of the closure1, V which member 8 is preferably terminated in line with the bottom ofthe casing 6- and'is provided 1 5 with an inwardly extending annularflange or angle iron, I0, for a purpose hereinafter de-,- scribedtgThewalls oneach-side of the semi-* cylindrical casing 6 are extendedtangential thereto for equal distances slightly greater than. 50 aradiusof the casingtto form the sides ll of a housing indicated in Figure 3.The top closure 1 of the semi-cylindrical member is extended" to form atop closure of this housing and the bot-'1 toms of the side members IIsupport-a closure 35 Ha for the under side ofatheth'ousingr The open,

end of the housing supports an air duct l2 extending upwardly at anangle, as shown in Figure 2, which air duct terminates in a verticaleliminator I3 preferably in the form of a rectangular casing I4 havingspaced-apart walls-of wire mesh l5 with the space therebetweenpreferably filled with glass wool l6, commonly known to the trade asspun glass.

The annular inturned flange or angle iron 10 upon the lower extremity ofthe inverted conical member 8 supports a bracket I! which in turnsupports an electric motor 18, with the driving shaft l9of the motorconcentric with the axis of the casing I and extending therebelow toenter into the frustro-conical member 4. A circulating pump 20is mountedadjacent the bottom closure 2 preferably upon brackets 2| secured to theinterior of the member I with its operating shaft 22 concentric with thevertical axis of the casing I. The operating shaft 22 is provided with aconcentric connecting shaft 23 extending upward to abut the lowerextremity of the motor shaft I9. The abutting shafts are joined to eachother by a bushing 24, by a key 25, and by set screws 26, if desired.The bushing 24 at each end supports concentric spaced-apart annular 1fan blade housings 21 by means of spiders 28 secured to the top andbottom housings with a concentric cylindrical receptacle 29 surroundingand spaced apart from the bushing 24 interposed between and secured tothe respective spiders ,28. Spaced-apart fan blades 30 are mountedvertically in the spaced-apart housings 21. The receptacle 29 is open atthe top, re-

stricted to engage the bushing 24 at the bottom, and its cylindricalside is provided with a plurality of perforations 3|, preferablyarranged in equally spaced-apart vertical and horizontal rows.

The end of the frustro-conical member 4 opening within the interior ofthe base l-is termi-i mated a short distance below the lowerfan' housing21 and is provided with a bottom plate 32 se- ,p cured about its edge,as shown, and with a con-t centric opening "33 corresponding indiameterv to the inner'diameter of the fanvhousing 21-. A plu- --rality10f spaced-apart stationaryivanes 34 are mountedwithin thefrustro-conical member4; The vanes depart from the inner circumferenceof the member at" a similar angle to the radius r passing through therespective points of 'depare thepoints of departure are equallyspacedrapart. The vanes are terminated inverture,. and

tical inner edges spaced apart a short distance from the fan bladehousings 2'! vand extendt'from 1 the bottom plate 32 upwardly; to. beterminated in a plane with the lower end of the member 8, as shown, Oneside of the base i is provided with an aperture 35. over whiph issecured a removable plate 36, which plate is provided with a pluralityof air admission ports 31, preferably made by striking in parallelhorizontal portions of the plate 36.

An inlet pipe 38 enters through the casing 6 and member 8 to dischargeinto a sleeve 39 depending from the motor casingand concentric with themotor shaft I9, which sleeve is terminated adjacent the upper end of thebushing 24. A spaced-apart inner sleeve 40 is mounted upon the motorcasing concentric with the motor shaft terminated in line with thebottom of the outer sleeve 39. The upper spider 28 of the fan isprovided with an upstanding annular flange H which receives within it inspaced-apart relation the lower end of the outer sleeve 39. The intakeport of the pump 28 communicates with the interior of the casing I andthe discharge port is connected by a discharge pipe 42 which passesthrough the side of the base I.

When this cooling unit is to be employed as a cooling tower or means forreducing the temperature of the cooling liquid of a condenser, the pipes38 and 42 are connected to the condenser. When the motor I8 is operated,the pump 20 causes a circulation of the cooling liquid of the condenser,causing the heated liquid to pass through the pipe 38 to be dischargedtherefrom in the chamber formed between the spaced-apart walls of thesleeves 39 and 40 and to be discharged from this chamber into theinterior of the perforated receptacle 29. The rotation of the motorshaft causes the liquid to be discharged through the perforations 3| bycentrifugal force in the form of a spray to be engaged by the vanes 30so that the liquid is thrown therefrom upon the stationary vanes 34 fromwhich it trickles downwardly upon the bottom plate 32 and then overflowsthe circular opening 33 therein to descend in a curtain of liquid to thewatertight bottom of the base I and, by the action ofthe pump 28, bereturned'through pipe 42 to the condensen 4 The action of the fancreates a suction, drawing thesurrounding air through the invertedtruncated member 8 to pass below the motor I8 and I through the upperspiders 28 into the interior of the fan and at the same time draws airsurrounding the base I through the apertures 31 in the removable plate36 upon the side thereof. This latter air is drawn through the curtainof liquid descending from the base 32 and enters in the interior of thefan through the lower spiders 28. The action of the fan dischargestheair along with the spray of liquid from the receptacle 29 to impingeuponthe stationary blades 34 of the inverted frustro-conical member 4.The air is then discharged upwardly from the spaces between therespective stationary blades 34 into the casing 6 and its supportedhousing into the air duct I2 and passesout through the eliminator II.The air passing through the curtain of cooling v liquid, through thespray within the fan, and

over the moistened stationary vanes 34 reduces the temperature of thecooling liquid so that the cooling liquid returned through pipe 42 tothe condenser has been reduced suificiently to produce an efllcientcondenser. The eliminator containing the glass wool or spun glass I6prevents any of the spray of the cooling liquid from being dischargedtherethrcugh;

As a natural result, the humidity of the air passing through theeliminator has been greatly increased over the surrounding atmosphere byits contact with the cooling liquid. If it is desired to employ thisdevice as a humidifier, a proper amount of water may be admitted to theinterior of the base I and. the pipes 38 and 42 joined to each other sothat a continuous circulation of water is set up by the pump through thefan. The motor I8 resting upon the braces I'I supported on the annularflange or angle iron I8 allows not only air to be drawn through theinverted frustro-conical member 8, but also, when the device is employedas a humidifier, allows water to be renewed from time to time within thewater-tight base I.

If it is desired to employ this device as an air conditioning means, thepipes38 and 42 are connected to pass through a cooling medium of anywell-known type whereby the water entering through the pipe 38 is oflower temperature than the surrounding air and a cooling and humidityingeffect is produced when the fan is in operation.

From the above, it is seen that a very compact cooling unit has beenprovided and the air not only passes through the liquid curtaindescending from the bottom 32 into the water-tight bottom of the casingI and through the liquid spray issuing from the receptacle 29 but alsopasses over the extended surfaces to which the liquid adheres, asprovided by the stationary vanes 34. It is also obvious from the abovethat this unit may be employed as a water-cooling tower for a coolingliquid of a condenser, a humidifier or an air conditioner.

What I claim is:

1. A cooling unit including a hollow cylindrical base having wallsextended upward to form a to enter within the base, a fan blower havingvertical blades spaced apart from the motor shaft and mounted within thefan casing, an annular series of stationary, vertical,spaced-apart-vanes mounted within the fan casing about the fan andforming passages opening at the top into said annular air passage, acirculating pump operated by the motor shaft within the base fordelivering a liquid within the blades of the fan, means for sprayingsaid liquid between the blades of the fan into the air drawn into thefan upon operation of the fan which also discharges the spray and airupon the stationary vanes, the bottom of said fan casing collecting theliquid draining from the vanes and delivering it in a continuous curtainabout the air inlet in the bottom of the fan casing into the bottom ofthe base. v

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the fan casing is in the form of aninverted frustro-conical casing with a portion of its conical wall'extending within the base.

I 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the air casing in the form of asemi-circular casing concentric with the'vertical axis of the base withits ends extended tangential to form sides of a housing opening into andsupporting the air duct.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the air casing is provided with atop closure and with an 75 inverted frustro-conical member concentric tothe vertical axis of the base supported thereon.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the air casing is provided with atop closure and with an inverted "trustro-conical member concentric tothe vertical axis of the base, extending to the top of the stationaryvanes supported upon said closure which member supports the motortherein;

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for delivering theliquidto the interior of the fan includes an inlet pipe and acylindrical chamber into which the inlet pipe discharges formed by twospaced-apart sleeves concentric to the motor shaft depending from themotor casing and opening within the fan blades.

'7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for sprayingthe liquidincludes a receptacle concentric to the motor shaft, mounted in the fanand open at the top to receive the liquid and provided with a pluralityof perforations in its side through which centrifugal force throws theliquid in the form of a spray.

8. A cooling unit, including a cylindrical base forming a liquid tank, afan casing supported thereabove and an air casing supported upon the fancasing said casings opening into each other and said fan casing openinginto the base, an air intake in the base, an air discharge leading fromthe air casing, a motor-operated fan blower having blades parallel toand spaced apart from the motor shaft and mounted within the fancasing', an annular series of stationary, vertical, spaced-apart vanesmounted angularly within the fan casing about the fan with the spacesbetween the vanes opening into the air casing thereabove, a motor-drivencirculating pump, means for delivering liquid within the blades of thefan and spraying said liquid therebetween into the air drawn into thefan casing upon operation of the fan and discharging the spray and airupon the stationary vanes, said pump circulating the liquid collected inthe base through said delivery means. 20

WALTER W. WILLIAMS.

